Ingredients:
• Olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 small shallots, finely diced
• 12 oz bottle of ale
• 2 lbs mussels
• 2 sprigs of Flat Leaf Parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/4 pint Double cream
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Lemon
• Parmesan cheese, grated
Procedure:
Cleaning Mussels
Mussels must be cooked while they are still alive. Smell them before purchase, they should not have any major odour. Soak the mussels in cool fresh water for 20-30 minutes before cooking and the scrub the mussels under running water with your hands, or a brush to remove sand, barnacles or other attachments. If you find a ‘beard’ sticking out of the shell, pull it and wiggle it a bit and it should come right off. Discard mussels that are broken, cracked, chipped or not tightly closed. Mussels that are open and still alive should close when gently tapped on a work surface!
Cooking Mussels
1. Heat a suitable saucepan over moderate heat, add olive oil and melt the butter. Add shallots; cook
until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
2. Add mussels to the pot, and pour in the lager. Close lid and let mussels steam over medium heat until
shells are open and the mussels turn opaque, 5~6 minutes. Make sure to shake the pan occasionally to
ensure even cooking.
3. Remove the mussels and place in a serving dish. Let the broth rest a few minutes allowing any
remaining sand to settle to the bottom of the pan. Carefully pour out the broth into another pan using
a ladle, avoiding any sediment at the bottom. Add double cream to the mussel broth and boil for 2 or
3 minutes, then pour over the mussels.
4. Top with parsley, black pepper, and a nice squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Sprinkle grated Parmesan
cheese to finish off. Serve hot with crusty bread to mop up the juices!
• Olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 small shallots, finely diced
• 12 oz bottle of ale
• 2 lbs mussels
• 2 sprigs of Flat Leaf Parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/4 pint Double cream
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Lemon
• Parmesan cheese, grated
Procedure:
Cleaning Mussels
Mussels must be cooked while they are still alive. Smell them before purchase, they should not have any major odour. Soak the mussels in cool fresh water for 20-30 minutes before cooking and the scrub the mussels under running water with your hands, or a brush to remove sand, barnacles or other attachments. If you find a ‘beard’ sticking out of the shell, pull it and wiggle it a bit and it should come right off. Discard mussels that are broken, cracked, chipped or not tightly closed. Mussels that are open and still alive should close when gently tapped on a work surface!
Cooking Mussels
1. Heat a suitable saucepan over moderate heat, add olive oil and melt the butter. Add shallots; cook
until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
2. Add mussels to the pot, and pour in the lager. Close lid and let mussels steam over medium heat until
shells are open and the mussels turn opaque, 5~6 minutes. Make sure to shake the pan occasionally to
ensure even cooking.
3. Remove the mussels and place in a serving dish. Let the broth rest a few minutes allowing any
remaining sand to settle to the bottom of the pan. Carefully pour out the broth into another pan using
a ladle, avoiding any sediment at the bottom. Add double cream to the mussel broth and boil for 2 or
3 minutes, then pour over the mussels.
4. Top with parsley, black pepper, and a nice squeeze of lemon juice to taste. Sprinkle grated Parmesan
cheese to finish off. Serve hot with crusty bread to mop up the juices!
Type: Authentic Recipe
Author: The Swan Hotel
Restaurant: The Swan Hotel, Sadler Street, Wells, Somerset, UK
Source: http://www.swanhotelwells.co.uk/downloads/Swan-Hotel-Recipe-of-the-Month.pdf